Rural Europe
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
- Demography
- Youth
- Women
- Access to services
- Health and care
- Education and training
- Digital
- Employment
- Social inclusion
- Rural-urban linkages
This interactive Eurostat publication presents statistics on the economic, social and demographic situation of rural areas and regions across the EU. First published in January 2023 and subsequently updated, it combines concise analysis with maps, charts and other visualisations to compare rural areas with towns, suburbs and cities.
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Rural Europe
Organisation: Eurostat, European Commission
Publication: 2023 – ongoing
The publication examines rural Europe through different territorial typologies, allowing socioeconomic conditions and trends to be analysed according to the rural or urban characteristics of territories. Its chapters cover demographic developments; women and men living in rural areas; quality of life; education and training; labour markets; income and living conditions; digital society; and economy.
The chapter on demographic developments explores population change and ageing in rural regions, including the effects of young people moving away for education or employment. It shows how depopulation and demographic ageing affect many predominantly rural regions, while also highlighting considerable differences between territories.
Other chapters provide evidence on gender differences and inequalities, health and well-being, education, employment and unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, income, living conditions and digitalisation. They offer a multidimensional picture of the opportunities and challenges experienced by people living in rural areas. The data also enable systematic comparisons with urban areas, helping identify where rural-urban disparities persist.
Why it is useful for rural areas
The publication provides an accessible evidence base on living and working conditions in rural Europe, bringing together statistics relevant to several dimensions of rural development. It can help users understand differences between rural and urban territories and identify variations among rural regions themselves.
Its combination of harmonised EU statistics, territorial comparisons and visual presentation makes it useful for identifying rural challenges, supporting evidence-based policymaking and monitoring territorial disparities. For example, the data highlight challenges linked to depopulation and ageing, access to opportunities, employment, social conditions and the digital divide.
The publication can also support rural proofing, by providing evidence with which to assess whether socioeconomic conditions and policy challenges differ according to the type of territory.
Who is this resource for?
The publication is relevant for EU, national, regional and local policymakers; rural development practitioners; researchers; rural networks and civil society organisations; statistical authorities; and stakeholders seeking accessible, comparable evidence on socioeconomic and demographic conditions in rural Europe.
About the organisation
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union. It provides high-quality statistics and data on Europe in cooperation with national statistical authorities, supporting comparisons between countries and regions and evidence-based EU policymaking.
News
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